Friday, 29th March 2024 15:20
Home / Uncategorized / 2011 PCA $25K High Roller: Day 3, level 21 & 22 updates (blinds 12,000-24,000, 3,000 ante)
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2:03pm: Break time
Players are now on a 15-minute break.

1.59pm: Brandon Steven eliminated in tenth place
Brandon Steven is out after a huge all-in from Team PokerStars Pro Leo Fernandez.

Fernandez opened for 65,000 from under-the-gun which was called by Eric Seidel a seat along and Brandon Steven in the big blind. On a flop of 7♥ 4♥ A♠ Stevens checked to Fernandez who made it 85,000. Seidel passed but Steven called for a K♦ turn card.

It was here that Fernandez moved all-in after Steven checked. Steven then called but did not like what he saw, showing A♥ 8♦ while Fernandez flipped up A♣ K♣ .The river card 8♣ made no difference. Steven out. Fernandez up to 2,050,000. – SB

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Brandon Steven makes his exit

1.52pm: Lykov shoves over Marafioti boast
Matt Marafioti opened for 66,000 on the button. “I have a big hand,” he said. “I’m not folding.”

Max Lykov in the small blind immediately announced he was all-in.

“You didn’t believe me?” asked Marafioti, who spent a minute agonising before mucking his cards. – SB

1:50pm: De Vries gets some revenge
After losing an ace-king vs. king-queen battle to Leo Fernandez earlier for a massive pot, Shander de Vries just exacted some revenge on Fernandez. It was the same fight this time, with De Vries A♦ Kâ™  up against Fernandez’s king-queen. Fernandez couldn’t find the queue this time, and De Vries doubled to around 650,000.–BW

1:46pm: Molson finds new life
Down to 331,000 after the big loss against Max Lykov, Will Molson shoved all-in under the gun with Kâ™  Q♥ . Play folded around to Jason Mercier in the big blind. He peeked at his cards, found two nines, and made the call. The board ran out A♦ J♦ Q♦ 4♥ 2♣ and Molson doubled up. –BW

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Mercier sinking

1.33pm: Fernandez doubles
Leo Fernandez raised on the button, was re-raised by Shander de Vries in the big blind before moving all-in for 714,000. De Vries called showing A♥ K♣ to Fernandez’s K♥ Q♣ .
The board ran 10â™  10♥ 5♥ 3♦ Q♥ , the river card saving Fernandez who moved up to around 1,400,000. De Vries, who had shot up past the million mark a few hands earlier, is now down to around 420,000. – SB

1.25pm: Molson all-in, Marafioti folds
Short-stacked Will Molson just moved all-in for 286,000 form the button. Matt Marafioti was in the big blind and spent a few minutes thinking about the call, eventually folding, saying he had king-jack. On hearing this Molson showed him K♥ Q♦ . – SB

1.20pm: Tom Marchese out in 11th place
Tom Marchese has been fighting the rear-guard battle for most of the level now, moving in once with not takers and getting a call from Shander De Vries the second time, when he moved in on the button.

Marchese K♠ 9♦
De Vries 5♥ 5♦

The board ran 3♦ 6♥ J♣ 6♣ 10♦ to send Marchese out in 11th place, while De Vries moves up to nearly 1,200,000. – SB

1:13pm: Lykov doubles thought Molson
Max Lykov came in for a raise to 50,000 and Will Molson re-raised to 115,000 from the button. Molson shoved for a total of 668,000 and Molson snap-called with A♥ K♥ . Lykov had pocket nines, a hand which ended up making an unnecessary set on the river. Lykov now over the 1.3 million mark and holds the chip lead. –BW

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Max Lykov

1.10pm: Pedal to the Metaal
Govert Metaal has been quiet in the opening skirmishes today, but he just won his first decent pot off Max Lykov. Lykov had opened with a raise to 50,000 from the button and Metaal called from the big blind to see a K♣ A♥ 4â™  flop. Both of then checked that, and they also stalled on the A♣ flop. But on the Jâ™  river, Metaal bet 52,000 and Lykov made the call. He mucked when shown A♦ 8♣ . Mataal improved to 850,000, Lykov slips to 680,000. — SY

1:04pm; Level up
The players are now in Level 22 and playing 12k/24k/4k.

1.10pm: De Vries doubles
Shander de Vries has doubled up after he got his chips in pre-flop with J♠ A♦ , getting a call from David Baker next to him who turned over A♣ 4♣ .

The board ran 5♥ 8♣ 6â™  J♦ 5♦ taking De Vries up to around 720,000 while Baker is down some, on around 590,000. – SB

1:03pm: Marchese doubles short-stack
With only 154,000 left in his stack, Tom Marchese was looking for any opportunity to get it in. He got it just a couple minutes ago when Erik Seidel opened from the button for 42,000. Marchese shoved it in from the small blind and got the auto-call from Seidel.

Marchese: A♣ K♦
Seidel: A♦ 10♥ .

Marchese ended up hitting his king on the turn and doubled up. –BW

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Tom Marchese doubles up

1pm: Molson closes in on a million
Will Molson took a nice pot off Max Lykov to move up to around 940,000. Lykov is pegged back at 660,000. The Russian had raised to 40,000 from the button, called by Molson in the big blind. Both checked the Kâ™  7♦ Q♥ flop, and on the 2♦ turn Molson bet 60,000. Call. The river was 8♥ and now Molson made it 120,000. Lykov went deep into the tank before eventually making the call, only to be shown K♥ 4♥ for Molson’s winning top pair. — SY

12.55pm: Marafioti doubles up
Matt Marafioti just doubled up through Jason Mercier to take his stack up to around 680,000. With the action folded to him on the button Marafioti opened for 48,000. Max Lykov folded the small blind leaving any challenge up to Jason Mercier in the big.

Mercier asked Marafioti how much he had, but before he could tell him it was 334,000 Mercier announced all-in. Marafioti called in a blink, turning over K♠ K♥ . Mercier flipped over his 6♠ 8♠ and waited for the board.

3♦ 4♦ 10♣ 3♣ 8♥

Will Molson reached over to tap fists with Marafioti who then went on a short walk. No noises, no hoopla. Mercier drops a little to around 750,000. – SB

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Matt Marafioti licks his chops

12:47pm: Steven lets it go
Brandon Steven raised from under the gun to 50,000 and it was folded around to David Baker in the big blind. He made the call and they saw a 10♠ Q♠ 5♦ flop. Both checked that, but on the 4♦ turn Baker sprang to life, betting 68,000. Call. The river was A♣ , meaning many hands may have got there, and Baker now bet a hefty 170,000.

“Wow,” said Steven, frowning as he attempted to put together the pieces in the puzzle. After a few minutes, he folded, leaving himself with 430,000. Baker up to 870,000. — SY

12:46: Who is that railbird?
The High Roller event is literally surrounded by a rail today. Who is that guy peering in from the outside? Is he looking for a loan?–BW

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12.30pm: Marchese short
Tom Marchese is now a man in danger. He open-shoved from the small blind and was called by Shander de Vries from the big blind. It did not end well.

Marchese: J♥ 5♥
De Vries: K♦ 8♣

The board ran 4♣ A♣ 2♦ 8♥ 7â™  , and De Vries doubled up to around 470,000, leaving Marchese with 240,000. — SY

12:26pm: Nuts!
Jason Mercier opened for a min-raise to 40,000 and got a call form Max Lykov in the big blind. On the 7♣ 9♦ 8♣ flop, Mercier was in clover. He was holding J♣ 10♥ . When Max Lykov led for 52,000, Mercier played his hand slow. The turn changed things for the worse. When the 10♥ came out, Lykov bet 111,000 and Mercier just called. The river was an irrelevant 5♦ . Lykov thought for a long while before betting 222,000. Mercier didn’t reach for chips. He simply announced, “Call.” Lykov turned over K♥ J♥ for the turned straight. Mercier showed his hand. As the dealer chopped the pot, Mercier simply shook his head. –BW

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12.18pm: Molson shoves
Max Lykov opened from the button for 45,000 and Jason Mercier, perhaps suspecting he was ‘at it’, re-raised from the small blind to 110,000. Will Molson was in the big blind and, perhaps suspecting they were both at it, moved all in. It was 407,000 more to Mercier.

The Team PokerStars Pro went deep into the tank.

“What’s your range, bro?” he joked.
“What do you have?” replied Molson.
“It’s a decent hand. I wish I could tell you.”

But after a little more thought, Mercier tossed it away. — SY

12.11pm: Just turn them over!
Matt Marafioti and Max Lykov were contemplating a 3♦ 8â™  A♣ J♥ board. Marafioti made it 50,000 to go before Lykov re-raised to 110,000. Now Marafioti announced he was all-in – call! There then followed a short pantomime.

“You have a set? asked Lykov
“No, you have two pair?” replied Marafioti, who was at risk in the hand.
“Yes.”
“Eights and threes?” said Marafioti.
“No.”
“Jacks and threes?” Marafioti continued.
“No.”

At this point Jason Mercier had had enough. “Just turn them over. Holy sh*t.”

That’s what they did, and it was all a bit of an anti-climax. J♦ 8♣ for Marafioti – Jâ™  8♦ for Lykov. Chop it up! — SY

12:08pm–Current seat draw
This is all going to change when we get down to eight players anyway, but for now, here’s how the two tables look.–BW

1-Shander de Vries
2-David Baker
3-Brandon Steven
4-Leo Fernandez
5-Erik Seidel
6-Tom Marchese

1-Maxim Lykov
2-Jason Mercier
3-Will Molson
4-Govert Metaal
5-Matt Marafioti

12:04pm: Affleck shows up in time to leave
Matt Affleck was very, very short coming into the day.WIth only 90,000 left in his stack, he got it in with the first decent hand he could find: A♥ Qâ™  . Jason Mercier did his duty and played with 8♥ 9♣ . Mercier flopped his eight, Affleck didn’t suck out, and the High Roller is down to 11 players. –BW

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Short day for Matt Affleck

11.30am: Welcome to the final day of the PCA
It’s finals day at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and the actual final day. This ten-day jambouree of every type of tournament you can imagine comes to a close today. Tomorrow this place reverts back to the usual fare of exhibitions, award dinners and industrial sanitation conferences.

But while we still have a few tables and chairs we’ll have the conclusion of the $25,000 High Roller event. There’s also the matter of the Bounty Shootout event on the main feature table, coverage of that will start at 2am.

Anyone still following at 2.30am this morning will know that they played down to 12 in this event last night, four short of a final table. Also, as you’d expect from an event like this, the remaining players are some of the best you could put together in one place.

Jason Mercier, Team PokerStars Pro – 1,023,000
David Baker – 853,000
Max Lykov, Team PokerStars Pro – 835,000
Govert Metaal – 792,000
Leo Fernandez, Team PokerStars Pro – 784,000
Tom Marchese – 728,000
Erik Seidel – 632,000
Brandon Steven – 571,000
Will Molson – 526,000
Matt Marafioti – 385,000
Shander de Vries – 325,000
Matt Affleck – 95,000

Jason Mercier leads, on course for another big win. Any one of the 11 obstacles in his way would make a convincing winner.

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Chip leader, Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier

It all resumes at 12 noon with coverage here through the very last hand. While you wait, check out the coverage from yesterday.

PokerStars Blog reporting team in the Bahamas (in order of overnight hours spent away from this room):Stephen Bartley (nine and a half), Brad Willis and Simon Young (seven).

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